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Former international student represents Aotearoa in Ecuador
With his career as an agronomist under way, Juan Pablo came to New Zealand on an MFAT-administered scholarship in 1988, wanting to build on his agricultural qualifications. After taking English courses at Victoria University Wellington Te Herenga Waka, he completed a two-year Diploma in Rural Studies at Massey University Te Kunengaki Pūrehuroa.
His time in New Zealand had such a profound impact on his life that he returned home determined to establish lasting bonds between the two countries. And there is no doubt that his appointment reflects just how much he has achieved.
Juan Pablo says he had dreamed of coming to New Zealand long before he got here. He had read ‘Grass to Milk’, Campbell McMeekan’s 1960s account of New Zealand’s dairying management practices which was well-known among dairy farmers in Ecuador. “I read the book and decided this is the place I want to go.”
Learning from the best
Very few students travelled to New Zealand from Ecuador at that time, most went to the United States for further education, he says. “Many people asked me why I was going to New Zealand, and people still ask me about it today. I tell them I went because I wanted to learn from the best.”
Juan Pablo says he was inspired by his lecturers, especially the late Professor Colin Holmes, a respected researcher, mentor, and advocate of the dairy industry.
“I came from an education system where the teacher held all the knowledge, where it was always black or white. In New Zealand it was totally different because learning was inquiry-based. Critical thinking was the method of developing knowledge.”
He says his experience was transformative on both a personal and professional level.
“The things I saw and learned, the New Zealand way of doing things, and the care and respect people had for each other had a powerful effect on me.”
Over the decades since Juan Pablo’s education experience in Aotearoa, he has built a highly-regarded career in Ecuador, founding and leading primary industry companies, accepting numerous board appointments, representing Ecuador in international free trade agreement negotiations, and being recognised with multiple honours for his contribution to the livestock and dairy sector.
Enduring ties to New Zealand
But he never forgot his ties to New Zealand, working tirelessly to strengthen the bilateral relationship and boost both business and education opportunities. He initially established a company to import agricultural products from New Zealand. When he later secured the role of General Manager of the Cattlemen’s Association, he passed on all his business contacts, and the organisation has been importing electric fencing components and seeds from New Zealand companies ever since.
“In 1988, we brought some cattle in from New Zealand for a breeding programme. Now many farms in Ecuador, including the ones I oversee, have cattle from New Zealand stock. And in the 1990s I helped to establish an education programme with Massey, which saw lecturers come to Ecuador to take short courses in dairy management.”
“When it comes to dairy farming, almost everything I know I learned in New Zealand - pasture management, milk production systems, electric fencing, animal welfare – and farmers have applied these practices successfully in Ecuador,” Juan Pablo says.
“New Zealand is top of mind for every farmer here. When you talk about New Zealand here, everybody knows about its reputation in agriculture. Going to New Zealand is on the wishlist for many people.”
Honoured to represent Aotearoa
Juan Pablo says he was deeply honoured to be asked to be New Zealand’s Honorary Consul in Ecuador, a role which is all about connections and creating opportunities which benefit both countries.
“I am very proud, and I’m happy because I now have the chance to advocate for Aotearoa,” he says. “The better the relationship with New Zealand, the better it is for Ecuador too. We must focus on what we have in common and make the most of it.”
He firmly believes international education is at the heart of relationship-building and collaboration between countries, even more than tourism and business. “You learn the values of a nation through education. Time spent studying in New Zealand will make you a better person.”
“International students will become New Zealand’s ambassadors to the world.”
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Education consultancy Edified to offer another round of Energiser Grants
Edified is a specialist higher education consultancy that works with educational institutions in the UK, Australia and New Zealand.
Applications are now open for grants to support students and graduates with a vision and a plan to improve education in their community. A total of three grants are on offer, for a project in each of the following categories:
- To improve any type of education
- To improve education in safety, health or wellbeing
- To improve education for women or about gender equity
EEGs are open to people of any nationality (domestic and international) who are currently studying at, or have graduated in the past five years, from an Australian, New Zealand or UK Higher Education, Vocational or English Language institution (part-time, online and offshore campuses accepted). Your project can be delivered in any country in the world.
For further details on eligibility, past winners and how to apply, visit www.edified.com.au/post/energiser-grants
Applications close on 31 October 2020.
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Latest insights on international education
“As we approach the end of 2022, we have an opportunity to take stock, and importantly look forward to next year, one in which we all hope to welcome increasing numbers of international students back to New Zealand,” says Marie Clark, Director Insights at Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao (ENZ).
“Despite the long period of border closure there has been only slightly altered demand for international study. Our annual brand tracker shows the New Zealand brand is holding a strong position globally.”
ENZ has been closely tracking the beginnings of recovery. As New Zealand's border reopens, the immediate priority is for international education providers to build back their onshore offerings and attract students back to Aotearoa. The content of this issue is focussed on toward data and analysis related to our initial observations of the sector's recovery.
The Insight Story - Issue 6 includes insights on:
- Student visa applications and Study with New Zealand web stats
- New Zealand's education brand health
- Agent perceptions about international education
- 2021 international student enrolments
- New Zealanders' perceptions of the value of international students
- and more……
Visit IntelliLab to download The Insight Story here.
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From the CE: A monumental year
Tēnā koutou katoa,
December already! Where did the past 12 months go?
The good news is that the effort that you have all put into this sector, that we are all so passionate about, has delivered results. My team tell me that enrolments for the first eight months of 2023, and the 12 months since the borders opened, have almost topped 60,000 (59,306 to be exact) and that the number of visa applications is much higher. From where we were when the borders opened this is significant and tangibly real, positive progress. It is also a positive indication for the future as many of these learners will be staying on into next year and are the foundation on which we can build further growth.
That said there is still much to do.
The recovery is not spread evenly across all sector participants and not spread evenly across New Zealand. While, at the time of writing, ENZ is yet to receive its letter of expectation from the new Government, international education was included as a manifesto focus area and I expect we will get very clear direction as to our role in continuing the recovery. This is good news too. Getting clear direction from Government enables us to know exactly what is expected and to focus our efforts accordingly.
In the short time that I have been in the CEO role, I have come to understand the importance of focus. There has never been and never will be a shortage of opportunities when it comes to international education. It is a matter of identifying the opportunity that delivers the impact and focusing our attention there. I look forward to receiving the new Government’s direction and delivering to it alongside our many partners.
The past 12 months have also been significant in the area of scholarships – the Prime Minister’s Scholarships for Asia and Latin America and the Manaaki New Zealand Scholarship Programme. Our scholarship programme was also bought to a standstill by COVID-19 and is itself recovering and recovering well. In 2023 more than 250 New Zealanders have been recipients of a Prime Minister’s Scholarship and more than 900 people from across the Pacific and Asia have participated in the Manaaki New Zealand Scholarship Programme with another 400 in the pipeline. As you know, ENZ administers these on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Both programmes successfully build enduring connections between New Zealand and our offshore partners and contribute to our communities here at home.
For all of us, our colleagues and our whānau, 2023 has been a monumental year. There is much that we can, and should, look back on with pride and satisfaction. On behalf of everyone at ENZ, I’d like to thank you for your support and for the huge amount of effort and work that has been achieved this year. I look forward to working with you in 2024 to continue the momentum towards an international education sector that is sustainable, resilient, and innovative, and of high value for students, providers, and all of New Zealand.
Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi engari he toa takitini
It is not the strength of one person alone, but the strength of many that contribute to our success.
Ngā mihi,
Linda Sissons
Acting Chief Executive -
35 Indian students received scholarships to New Zealand
Thirty-five talented Indian students have been awarded scholarships to pursue business, fashion and STEM related study in New Zealand. The scholarships are a result of the New Zealand Excellence Awards, an initiative between ENZ and all eight New Zealand universities.
The scholarship scheme was well received across India, attracting more than 100 applications from five key metro cities as well as smaller regions like Pune, Coimbatore, Gwalior, Kochi and Visakhapatnam.
After a rigorous shortlisting process, 35 outstanding applicants were awarded, 29 of who will be heading to our shores in the coming weeks for the first semester intake.
Naturally, the students are very excited to head to our shores.
“For someone like me, the New Zealand Excellence Award is a blessing, and has helped me apply for a smaller loan,” said Selva, an NZEA awardee from Chennai.
“It’s a great recognition of my experience and volunteer work, and it feels great to have that work rewarded. It is indeed an honour to receive this award and it certainly adds a lot of value to my resume.”
Jugnu Roy, ENZ’s Country Manager for India, is pleased with the positive response from the recipients, as well as the support from New Zealand universities.
“It’s a great way to not only increase the number of high value international students in New Zealand, but is also useful to build the New Zealand university profile internationally by having more Kiwi ambassadors.”
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New undergraduate scholarship programme for Vietnamese students
The Awards are designed for Vietnamese students pursuing undergraduate studies in New Zealand.
With the announcement of the new scholarship scheme, New Zealand now provides a full suite of support for Vietnamese students at all study levels with its government-supported scholarship programmes. In addition to the new programme, the New Zealand Schools Scholarships are specifically on offer for Vietnamese students in grades 8, 9, and 10 to study at New Zealand high schools, as well as Manaaki Scholarships for Vietnamese candidates pursuing postgraduate study programmes in New Zealand.
Caroline Beresford (3rd from right), NZ Ambassador to Vietnam, supported the launch by hosting a media briefing to promote the new scholarship programme on 15 November
Commenting on the initiative, Ben Burrowes, Acting General Manager – International at ENZ said, “New Zealand’s tertiary education system is highly regarded globally for its positive impacts on students and communities. The inclusion of all New Zealand universities in the new programme underscores our strong commitment to expanding learning and development opportunities for Vietnamese students at our world leading institutions. The initiative also demonstrates New Zealand’s dedication to fostering our bilateral educational ties as we approach the 50th anniversary of our longstanding partnership with Vietnam next year.”
The 2025 programme offers 14 scholarships, worth NZD 15,000 each, for students enrolling at one of New Zealand's eight universities: University of Auckland, Auckland University of Technology, University of Waikato, Massey University, Victoria University of Wellington, University of Canterbury, Lincoln University, and University of Otago ed. Applications are expected to open in May 2025 for the February 2026 intake.
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International students dig deep
The student volunteers were a mix of high school (Shirley Boys High School, St Bedes College and Riccarton High School) and university students (Ara Institute of Canterbury, Lincoln University and University of Canterbury), said Izzie Guo, Student Experience Coordinator, Canterbury International Education Leadership Accord and Christchurch Educated.
“There was also a great mix of cultures, with students coming from China, India, Japan, Russia, Thailand, Botswana and Zimbabwe, Bolivia, Philippines, Malaysia and New Zealand,” she said.
The students took around two hours to plant 500 native plants, including rushes and sedges.
“The international students learned about native bush, while several locals stopped by to talk to the internationals and learn about the reasons they were in Christchurch, and how they were enjoying studying and living in New Zealand,” Izzie said.
The event was followed by a Kiwi-style BBQ thanks to the Christchurch City Council park ranger involved, Robbie Hewson. It finished with a soccer game, where team China and Japan competed with team Russia and New Zealand.
“After the BBQ, some of the students walked around the Sister City gardens at the quarry – they were very excited to see that the garden was built to signify the relationships between their countries and Christchurch.
”I had a wonderful time!” said Omar Sheta, from Egypt who is studying at Riccarton High School. “I met lovely people from different parts of the world, we volunteered together as one, chatted and played soccer together.
"It was definitely a fun and meaningful experience for all,” said Sigred Yamit, a Filipino who is studying at the University of Canterbury.
“Not only were we able to contribute a bit to the local gardens and community, but we also made new friends. Everyone had a great time and tons of selfies were taken at the end of the day."
This event was supported Christchurch Educated International Student Association and Ara’s student events team.
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Reconnecting New Zealand and India through sport and business
The recipients, who were formally awarded their scholarships in India by Minister Nathan Guy and New Zealand Education Brand Ambassador and former Black Cap Captain Stephen Fleming, were able to reconnect with the Minister at the New Zealand India Business Council Summit in Auckland recently which was part of the welcome programme. The scholarship winners also had the opportunity to chat with Prime Minister John Key at the Summit which is one of the biggest events on the New Zealand-India calendar.
Above: Tashi Malik shakes Prime Minister Key’s hand while Kritika Bhasin and Harpreet Kaur looks on.
“I had been looking for a sports scholarship in New Zealand since I found a video of Prime Minister of New Zealand, John Key, on Youtube talking about sports collaboration between the two countries. It was wonderful to actually meet the Prime Minister today and talk to him. I feel like my dream has come full circle” said 23 year old Surabhi Date, who is now studying a postgraduate diploma in sport and exercise science at AUT University in Auckland.
As the youngest Captain of the Asian Rugby Team at just 19 years old, Surabhi, wants to change the face of rugby. She is just one of ten the high profile students awarded sports scholarships funded by ENZ and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
The scholarship students have just started their sports-related courses at universities and institutes of technology and polytechnics around the country. Tashi and Nungshi Malik are the first twins in the world to scale the tallest peaks in the seven continents and to ski to the South Pole. The 23 year old twins are studying a graduate diploma in sport and exercise science at the Southern Institute of Technology in Invercargill.
The welcome programme was not only an opportunity for the students to sample Kiwi hospitality, it also exposed them to the many possibilities for careers in the sporting industry.
In their applications, many of the students expressed a desire to open a sport-related business including high performance academies. To stimulate this thinking, the students also spent time with Ritika Bhargava, a former international student from India who last year won ‘Best Young Entrepreneur of the Year’ at the Indian Newslink Indian Business Awards for building up a successful chain of physiotherapy clinics in New Zealand and working with a variety of clients including cricket teams.
As well as putting the students through their paces physically, Ritika offered many words of wisdom to motivate them to make the most out of their time in New Zealand.
“I am glad that I made the decision to step out of my comfort zone and study in New Zealand when I was young as I still have years ahead to experiment and explore my options in life.”
Centre: Ketaki Khare and Ritika Bhargava while sports scholarship students Mehareen Nishander, Tashi Malik, Surabhi Date, Shashank Ghai and Yogesh Sharma look on.
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Brazilian champions Māori world view to design students globally
So transformative was the experience, that the former international student is determined that design leaders globally learn from AUT’s success embracing Māori knowledge in tertiary design studies.
Marcos came from Sao Paulo to study for his PhD in Design at AUT in 2015. He always felt that Aotearoa was “calling” him and was drawn to the concept of practice-led research, which allows students to be assessed by their creative work alongside a supportive piece of writing.
“This means that your practice is your contribution to knowledge,” he says. “I was fascinated by the idea.”
Practice-led research has been around for many years but is still not widely used. AUT, now considered a world-leader in its implementation, developed the approach under education “disruptor” Professor Welby Ings, who believes thinking outside the box can be the key to success for many learners.
Embracing the natural world from a Māori perspective
While Marcos enjoyed the early months focusing on his photography, it was an introduction to respected Māori scholars Professor Hinematau McNeill and Professor Robert Pouwhare late in his first year which really rocked his world.
“They shared their love and knowledge and introduced me to Māori views of the natural world. Their way of thinking and seeing the world completely resonated with me. I understood how ignorant I was in terms of expecting to be able to explain the world through a Western perspective. I learned from them that there is so much beyond it that we cannot see.”
“I learned how the world can be seen from an indigenous perspective, and I felt really bad that my own culture has more than 300 indigenous tribes and we never learn anything about them.”
He says he became really connected with Māori epistemology (theory of knowledge) and committed to understand and incorporate Māori elements in a substantial part of his thesis. “I try my best to captivate the complex Māori concept of mauri (life force or essence) in my work.”
Incorporating the Māori view of the natural world in practice-led research is attracting and retaining students who might not otherwise thrive in a university environment, Marcos says.
At AUT’s Manukau campus, the majority of students are Māori and Pasifika. “These students have natural storytelling talents, and they love graphic design, photography, street art, and all forms of contra-culture expression (outside mainstream media).
Māori and Pasifika students feel sense of belonging
“They feel a sense of belonging to the university with this approach. ”Last year saw the biggest increase in the number of students continuing from undergraduate to postgraduate study in Communication Design, using the practice-led approach.
Driven to promote this diversity of thought and boost the status of indigenous cultures and language elsewhere, Marcos is using his connections in Brazil to share Aotearoa’s success with South America and beyond.
A former colleague, Professor Sérgio Nesteriuk Gallo, is now head of a postgraduate programme in Art and Design at Anhembi Morumbi University (UAM) in Sao Paulo where students are increasingly using practice-led methodologies. “We agreed when I left for New Zealand that the knowledge I gained in practice-led research we would share and promote in Brazil,” Marcos says.
“We promised we would create an event every year to build a body of knowledge about practice-led research into the future. I know that many people, especially those from an indigenous background in Latin America are keen to take up this form of research.”
The first symposium was held in 2016 and attracted 10 exhibitors. Last year’s online symposium drew in 400 submissions from 13 universities around the world.
Planning is underway to take 10 of the most influential Māori practice-led researchers to Brazil for this year’s conference in December, called LINK2022 Moana Crossing, where they will run a series of workshops and launch a special edition of the journal incorporating original manuscripts from the Māori scholars and from collaborative partnerships with non-Māori practitioners.
Aotearoa New Zealand leading the way
“We have at least half the leading scholars in this field,” Marcos says. “Sharing this knowledge will hopefully influence the approach of those who teach elsewhere in the world.”
The new model of undertaking research and presenting knowledge must be more considerate of alternative approaches. “Māori traditions can enhance our understanding of research, practice, and the intricate connection with te taiao (the environment).”
He says he is committed to elevating the practice-led approach connected to Māori and first-nation knowledge, “taking our thinking to the world and giving a voice to indigenous cultures elsewhere”.
Piha at Sunset by Marcos Steagall.
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Students around the globe join New Zealand summit
Kicking off this week with seminars on the space economy and mechanisms for social change, and the human cost of climate change, the online global workshop connects a diverse group of potential international students to help them connect, collaborate and shape their future.
ENZ’s Deanna Anderson, Business Development Manager says the project offers ENZ a great opportunity to learn more about the motivations of learners from new markets while offering the students involved a unique digital engagement with New Zealand.
“It’s a two-way learning experience that explores the futures of our next generation of learners while offering them a window into New Zealand’s unique way of problem solving.
“The aim is to create an inspiring initiative that engages hundreds of students and allows us to use their insights to better understand the future of our next generation of learners.
“Each student has the ability to offer insight that could help shape a more personalised, meaningful, relevant and uniquely New Zealand education experience.”
The summit involves 12 expert speakers who are presenting six online seminars on topics ranging from sustainable design to social entrepreneurship to climate change.
“After the seminar series, the students will be involved in a co-creation weekend where they will work as part of 65 online challenge groups to discuss solutions to some of the planet’s most pressing issues such as energy production, waste as a resource and the future of human survival.”
Deanna says this pilot research project will provide invaluable insights for New Zealand’s international education sector that will inform the direction of future industry innovation.
For more information or to join the webinars, visit https://www.emergingfutures.co.nz/
